Such a microswitch connector is used, for example, as an interface switch connector in a mobile phone to connect an external aerial to the mobile phone. The switch connector has the function of connecting the send/receive circuit of the mobile phone either to the internal aerial or to the external aerial, which may be mounted in a motor vehicle, for example. A plug-in connector, connected to the external aerial, may be inserted into the microswitch connector, simultaneously disconnecting the internal aerial from the send/receive circuit and making a plug-in connection between the send/receive circuit and the external aerial. By pulling the plug-in connector out of the microswitch connector, the connection between the external aerial and the send/receive circuit is separated and the send/receive circuit is connected again to the internal aerial. Because of the increasingly small dimensions of mobile phones, such microswitch connectors must also be miniaturised accordingly.
A switch connector is known from DE 100 51 791 A1, which is designed for use in mobile phones and has a housing with a contact chamber accessible for a plug-in contact via an insertion opening. In the contact chamber there is a U-shaped spring clip between whose legs the plug-in contact is held in place when inserted into the insertion opening. When the plug-in contact is not inserted the free ends of the two legs rest against a metallic-coated and therefore electrically conductive projection of the housing. By inserting the plug-in contact the legs of the spring clips are spread so far apart that electrical contact between the two legs and the conductive projection is separated. The spring clip extends in a direction transverse to the insertion path of the plug-in contact and in this direction has a considerably larger dimension than the diameter of the insertion opening. This results in a correspondingly large dimension of the switch connector which stands in the way of increased miniaturization for mobile phones.
From U.S. Pat. No 4,633,048 a switch connector is known wherein an electrical connection is interrupted by inserting a plug-in contact into the switch connector. This switch connector has a connector housing which has an approximately cube-shaped housing portion with a cylindrical housing portion extending therefrom. In the connector housing two contacts are arranged, each having a plate-shaped contact region which is accommodated in the cube-shaped housing portion. Each also has a connecting tab projecting therefrom, and a movable resilient contact region which projects into the cylindrical housing portion. The movable resilient contact region of the one contact is provided as a flat fork while the movable resilient contact region of the other contact is provided as an insertion sleeve for the plug-in contact. The insertion sleeve is pre-tensioned in such a way that it is positioned eccentrically with reference to an insertion opening of the cylindrical housing portion as long as there is no plug-in contact inserted into the insertion sleeve. In this eccentric position the insertion sleeve is in electrical contact with the flat fork of the other contact. If a plug-in contact is inserted into the insertion sleeve, the insertion sleeve is moved into a centered position with reference to the cylindrical housing portion, the insertion sleeve being raised from the flat fork and thus the electrical connection between two contacts being interrupted. This switch connector is difficult to manufacture in dimensions which are suited to a mobile phone of small construction.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,557, a plug-in connector is known with two rows of connector pins, wherein between one of the two rows and a housing wall a plate-shaped bridging contact member is arranged having two spring arms which, in a relaxed state, are in electrical contact with two of the connector pins. When a mating connector is inserted into the housing of the plug-in connector, the spring arms are pushed out of contact with the connector pins by a partition wall of the mating connector, so that the previous electrical bridging of the two connector pins is interrupted by the bridging contact member. This plug-in connector also has dimensions which render it unsuitable for use in mobile phones.